South East Asian Rhaphidophoridae (Cave Crickets, Camel Crickets)

This Bornean cave cricket is the giant of its Family. It lives in some of the world's largest caves with complex ecologies dependent on the presence of millions of Swiftlets (birds) and bats. These vertebrate insectivores collectively harvest thousands of tons of flying insect biomass every day and night from the feeding catchment around the cave roosting sites. During the roosting period tons of guano (poo) are deposited during the 24 hour cycle on the cave floor where it attracts an army of coprophages (poo-eaters - mostly cockroaches) that recycle the nutrients. This system in turn attracts predators and scavengers. Rhaphidophora needs to be large to deal with its preferred food of Swiftlet eggs. It will also scavenge their carcasses and those of bats as well